This disclosure relates generally to a gas turbine engine, and more particularly to a gas turbine engine thermal management system that manages the heat generated by a gas turbine engine.
Gas turbine engines, such as turbofan gas turbine engines, generally include a fan section, a compressor section, a combustor section and a turbine section. During operation, airflow is pressurized in the compressor section and is mixed with fuel and burned in the combustor section. The hot combustion gases that are generated in the combustor section are communicated through the turbine section. The turbine section extracts energy from the hot combustion gases to power the compressor section, the fan section and other gas turbine engine loads.
A thermal management system can be employed within the gas turbine engine to manage the heat generated by the gas turbine engine. Thermal management systems maintain operable temperatures for the engine fuel, oil and other fluids that are communicated throughout the engine. For example, a portion of the heat of the engine oil can be transferred into the engine fuel to increase the efficiency of the gas turbine engine.